An ethnobotanical survey of plants of veterinary importance in two <i>woredas</i> of Southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of the survey was to document and analyze information on the traditional use of medicinal plants by farmers in Ofla and Raya-Azebo woredas of South Tigray Zone for the treatment and prevention of livestock ailments. Data were collected mainly through interviews carried out with randomly selected farmers of the two woredas. During the survey, 83 medicinal plant species were reported as being used for the treatment of 37 types of livestock ailments. A high proportion of the species (17%) were claimed to have been used as remedies for wound infections. The highest informant consensus was recorded for the plant Achyranthes aspera L. where 18 out of the total informants (9%) reported the use of the species as remedy against inflammation of the eye in cattle. Leaves are the most commonly sought plant parts in remedy preparations. Most of the remedies (96%) are prepared from freshly collected plant parts and a higher proportion being administered orally. The majority of the plants were found to be harvested from the wild. A significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between the average numbers of medicinal plants that were reported by farmers of the two woredas; on average two plant species were reported by the farmers from Raya-Azebo, whereas, only one plant species was reported by the farmers from Ofla. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacies and possible side effects of the traditional medicinal plants before they are recommend for their wider use both in the study area and elsewhere in the country.

Key words/phrases: Ethiopia, ethnobotany, ethnoveterinary, medicinal plants, Southern Tigray

SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science Vol.26(2) 2003: 123-136